Condemned
by PhoenixScribe
Summary: *major Season 4 spoilers* Dean Winchester had always known he was going to be a hunter. After the fire, he knew that his life had changed. But now that he was back from the fiery depths of Hell, what was his so-called destiny?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Not the Same Reflection

"Back away from Sam – now!"

Dean felt his heart ready to burst from just looking at the sight before him. Between being broken hearted and angrier than he had ever been, he was sure that he wasn't in his right frame of mind to be standing there with a loaded gun in his hand. But from learning what he had in the past twenty-four hours, Dean was about at his wit's end. There was no shaking of his hand despite the gun in it feeling like dead weight. He could smell her and it irked him to know that Sam had broken his promise. Ruby was back and it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was.

"I said now, bitch!"

Ruby glared at him over her shoulder as she slowly put up her hands in defense. As she took several steps away from Sam, Dean took several forward. The floor beneath him creaked as he continued to move toward Sam. But as he approached he noticed the charred floor beneath the chair of the man that was tied to it. He tried to ponder what would do such a thing until he saw Sam's gaze. Sam's eyes never once turned to him, but kept directly in front of him. Dean quickly fell to the man's side and tried for a pulse, finding none.

"He's dead," Sam simply said with no remorse.

Dean's hand fell limply to his side as he gazed up at Sam. His mind couldn't wrap around what was happening. Had a trip to Hell caused this much destruction? Was his family just doomed from the start? It had been something to know that his mother had been born and bred into becoming a hunter and that she never wanted this life for her family. Instead, both of her sons were now hunters, tracking the same things that her and her father did. But did she have any idea when she made the deal that her eldest son would be hunting her youngest?

"What did you do, Sam?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Without a second thought, Dean stood and shoved Sam against the wall with his arm buried deep in Sam's throat. Sam made no attempts to struggle. The anger played out on his face, but it didn't seem to faze his brother. Sam was calm, cool and collected which didn't make Dean feel any better. It just made him feel that much worse.

"I won't ask again."

Sam sighed and gestured to the poor soul that was tied to the chair. "He was a demon, Dean. I did what you taught me to do."

"Really? I taught you how to exorcise a demon that left the floor nearly still burning after the demon is sent back?!" Dean shoved his arm deeper into Sam's throat. "You told me…hell, you promised me that you wouldn't use your psychic crap! Did you summon Ruby? Did you bring her back to help you out?!"

"Dean, this isn't what it looks like."

Dean glared at Ruby over his shoulder. "I didn't ask you for your opinion and if you aren't quiet, I will find a way to send you back to Hell – permanently."

"I was going to tell you, Dean," Sam said, struggling for air. "I was just trying to find the right time."

"When was the right time going to be, Sammy?! When I found you with your own set of black eyes? I'm not going through the same crap I did when Meg possessed you. I'm not dealing with you going all dark on me."

"I'm not going to go dark!" he protested. "What the hell do you think I am?!"

Dean pointed toward the chair and looked deep into Sam's eyes. "If this is any indication, I say you already know who you are."

Moving away, feeling dejected, Dean turned and slowly began to walk away from the scene. He could feel Sam's eyes boring into him. There was too much pain to even argue the point. Castiel had been right. Azazel tainted his brother to the point that there was some higher purpose for him. What was he supposed to do to stop it? How the hell was he supposed to do anything to help Sam? If there was nothing more than a barren trail leading him to this point, there was no way he would find out anything until it happened.

"Where are you going?!"

His lips didn't move and he didn't answer Sam. All Dean could find the strength to do was walk out of the warehouse before he did something rash. Ruby had clawed her way back from Hell much like he found a one-way ticket back. Dean could bet that there was no angel that pulled Ruby from the pit. Whatever she had done, whatever deal she had made, was for a darker purpose.

Climbing into his baby, Dean slammed the door shut and sat on the leather seat for a moment before hearing the familiar roar of the engine. Even the Impala didn't make him feel any better as it usually did. 'Paint it Black' echoed all around him but didn't soothe his fears. Sam had changed in the four months that he had been in Hell. Four months and that was all it took for evil to rake its claws through his brother. It would take a lot longer to bring Sam back from the brink. It would take an act of God to save his brother's soul.

Dean threw the car into drive and began down the desolate highway. Staring out the window he mumbled to himself, "Yellow eyed son of a bitch."

* * *

The hot water cascaded over his shoulders and down his back. There was not enough hot water in the world to wash away his cares. He was too worried and too stressed to think about the kinks in his neck. Dean Winchester had never been one to back away from a fight, but this was one fight he didn't want to have. This was Sam. This was his brother and the reason why he went to Hell in the first place. Sam was the reason why he had endured the pain and the anguish of being constantly surrounded by demons – at least, that's what he told himself. He still couldn't remember what had happened to him in the pit despite waking up in a cold sweat every morning from the constant nightmares that plagued him worse than the flu ever could.

No sawed off shotgun would get him through this. There was nothing in his life that would just push aside the burden that was now on his shoulders. Castiel had practically given him an ultimatum: find out what Sam's up to or he dies. That wasn't an option he was willing to take. Dean knew he would find out what was going on with Sam before the Armies of Heaven decided to descend down and smite Sam and send him to Hell. Over his dead body that was going to happen. He didn't care if he went back to Hell himself, there was no way Sam was going to suffer in the pit. It didn't matter what Dean had to sacrifice, he was going to make sure that Sam would stay alive.

_So stop it…or we will._

Dean felt the bones in his hand break as his knuckles crashed against the tiled wall in front of him. Was that why he was saved from perdition? Was it because no angel could get close enough to Sam like he could? Was that the sole purpose of him being here?

"Screw them all."

Turning off the water, Dean stepped out of the shower and rubbed the mist off of the bathroom mirror. His reflection showed only the despair that he was feeling. He was dejected and felt nothing like himself. The hand print left from Castiel was still bright pink on his left shoulder. He began to wonder if the mark of the angel would ever go away. It was like a bad episode of 'Touched by an Angel', except that Castiel was no Roma Downey. But the scars he thought would be left by the hellhound weren't there. His body was in perfect condition, but his heart was broken, mangled to the point he thought it would never be mended.

"Dean?"

His head snapped as he peered over at the closed door, almost waiting for Sam to burst through the doorway. Dean still wasn't sure what he was going to do or even how he was going to handle Sam. As he slipped on his jeans, he glanced toward the mirror again and saw his own pain and darkness floating around in his eyes. What had Sam been like while he burned in the pit? Had Sam burned in his own way?

Dean snatched his t-shirt off of the floor and slid it on before placing the vest over it. He grabbed the towel off of the wall and wrapped his hand in it before opening the door to see Sam standing there.

"What? Your bitch didn't follow you home?" he angrily asked.

Sam let him brush him aside as he moved toward the duffle bag on his bed. He didn't turn to look at Sam, didn't want to see him right now. All he wanted was time to think. There were too many variables to the equation. If he fought for Sam, then Castiel would find a way to send him back to Hell. If he fought against Sam…well, they always said blood was thicker than water.

"I can explain everything."

Peering over his shoulder, Dean noted the puppy dog look and shook his head. "Don't look like a lost and abandoned puppy, Sam. The look will get you nowhere with me. It might with Ruby…"

"Look, none of this was Ruby's fault! This was all my idea so don't put the blame on her."

"I'm going to put the blame on anyone I damn well please, considering I've had a demon helping out my brother while I was in Hell. That doesn't give me the warm and fuzzy feeling I've been feeling since I've been back. So you will have to forgive me if I really want to exorcise Ruby and send her back to Hell."

"That's right, Dean, you were in Hell," Sam countered. "I had to survive on my own."

Realization hit Dean. "You son of a bitch. She was the one who answered the door the night I came back." Sam swallowed hard as Dean moved before him. Ruby had been the one with Sam the night Dean had found him in Pontiac. "Are you out of your damn mind?! You didn't survive on your own. You had plenty of company, Sam."

"It's not like that with Ruby. I don't even know if I trust her."

"But you find it prudent to sneak out with her in the middle of the night, right under my nose, and just decide to kill some demons with your psychic powers? Way not to trust her, Sam."

Sam slowly moved away from Dean and sat down on the edge of the dresser. Dean could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. He had never been so furious in all of his life. How could Sam have been so naïve? Sam had been deemed the intelligent one of the Winchester brothers. How had Sam lost his ability to sense what was right and wrong? Even before his death, Dean had been noticing a change in Sam. Was it truly because Sam wanted to adapt to be more like him or was there something else that Sam was changing for?

"I was hoping you'd understand what I was trying to do." Sam didn't meet Dean's gaze but kept his eyes trained on the floor. "I'm not using my abilities for evil. Ruby is making sure of that."

"Yeah, I really trust her for that, Sam."

"I'm exorcising demons, Dean. I'm doing a job…a hunter's job. If I was evil, would I be doing what I'm doing?"

Dean remained silent for a moment before sitting down on the edge of the bed. He rubbed his rough hands over his face before glancing up at Sam. Sam, much like him, looked as though he was ready to fall asleep for a hundred years and never wake up. They were both tired and worn, but Castiel's voice didn't stop running through his mind. There was something about Sam that Azazel wanted. Could he keep that secret from Sam if Sam had kept this from him for so long?

"I want you to stop," Dean ordered. "I want you to stop now before something goes wrong. Whatever Ruby is helping you with, I want it to stop."

"But, Dean…"

Dean cut him off. "No buts, Sam. I want it to stop. These freak powers of yours are going to get us into a lot of trouble. Exorcise demons the way dad taught us. Do it in Latin and I don't care how much longer it takes. From what I saw, your little psychic way didn't leave much on the way of keeping the guy alive."

"I'm not killing them. You know that they're dead if the demon already messes with them before they possess them."

"You don't know if you're killing them or not, do you, Sam?" Sam was silent as Dean stared at him. "It all stops now. All of it."

The cell phone on the nightstand began to ring incessantly as the brothers stared at one another. He hated doing this to Sam but it was for his own good. If the angels were watching them that closely, one wrong move and Sam would be deader than a doornail. Dean knew he couldn't risk that. He couldn't risk losing Sam now.

Reaching over, he flipped open the phone and answered it. "Yeah?"

"I think I've got something for you boys to check out."

Dean sighed at the sound of Bobby's voice at the other end. He watched as Sam shifted uncomfortably. There was too much tension between the two of them. Maybe a hunt would change that.

"What have you got for us, Bobby?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Flesh From Bone

As the cell phone snapped shut, Bobby regretted everything he had just said in those few fleeting moments. The boys were states away from where he was, but that didn't save them from what he feared was about to go down. There had been no choice and no turning back. The boys were heading for trouble and there was no way he could save them or even clue them in to what was going on.

_Dean…Sam…I'm sorry._

Demons crawled around his hideout like they owned the place. Every trap and everything he had used to make sure the place was demon proof didn't mean a damn thing any more. It was as if Hell itself opened beneath him and let the worst of the worst out. Seven demons surrounded him and watched as he hung by his wrists from the ceiling. Rusted chain was cutting through his wrists, blood slowly trickling down his arms. Even as he hung limply there, his keen hunter's instincts were scouring the darkness that surrounded him. The only thing illuminating the room was the fire in the hearth. Nothing but shadows danced along the walls. Bobby knew that something deadly was lurking in the darkness. Demons just didn't bow and take orders from just anyone. Usually they were independent, but these seven weren't. They were more like puppets with a master they served.

"Why doesn't your boss come out to play?"

"Because you've been a very bad boy…Mr. Singer."

The child-like voice traveled to him through the darkness, chilling him to the very core. He felt himself shake as he watched a figure slowly begin to emerge from the shadows and blackness of the night. Out of the black came a figure he hadn't thought he'd ever see again. He tugged firmly on the chain, trying to free himself of his binds but it was of no use. No matter how much he tried to leave, she would hold him there until her bidding was done.

"Abby?" he asked, hoping for the answer he so needed to hear. The woman's name wouldn't matter much now, but there was still some lingering hope it would.

A wicked grin spread across the young woman's lips as she solemnly shook her head. "She's no longer here. Pity, she was fun to torture when she was."

"What did you do to her?!"

"I sent her far…far away, much like I should with you." She took a commanding step toward him as she peered up at Bobby with a curious stare. "But I think I might have a change of heart for you. I think I might like to have a little fun with you before I go."

Bobby's gasp was louder than he has expected as he watched the young woman's eyes turn pure white. It was in that moment he knew who he was dealing with and it wasn't a good sign. While his mind scrolled through the tricks and other useful solutions he usually had, Bobby couldn't find one to save him from the demon spawn that was wreaking havoc upon the world.

"I thought you liked to torture children."

"Let me let you in on a little secret." Her lips brushed against his ear and he grimaced from the touch. "Everyone has to grow up some time. Besides…I like the new body."

Her hips swayed as she sauntered away, giving Bobby some time to breathe and think. If Lilith had some how invaded an older woman's body, it only meant that Dean and Sam were in a great amount of danger. Sam had let him know that Ruby's body had been taken over by Lilith right before Dean had been ripped to shreds by the Hellhounds. But it was rare for a demon that enjoyed being like a child, who enjoyed putting people through enormous amounts of pain before sending them to the bowels of Hell, to just suddenly have a change of heart about who and what she was. What was Lilith up to now?

"Don't try to figure out what I'm up to, Mr. Singer. My game plan will be enacted in due time. After all, you've already sent the boys exactly where I want them. There's Sam…then the cute one." Lilith sniffed the air and sighed as her eyes turned back to the bright blue they had once been. "He was so close I could taste it. Seeing his contract hanging on my mantle was my proudest achievement. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. I mean a Winchester who was nothing more than a bug beneath my shoe, eaten by my puppies…"

"You are one sick bitch," Bobby yelled.

"You have absolutely no idea how sick I can really be."

Before Bobby knew what was happening, his eyes widened as his felt his body slowly being ripped apart. Peering down, he watched as a line was drawn down the middle of his chest all the way to his lower regions of his stomach. His skin slowly began to pull apart, ripping and tugging as if it was nothing more than a piece of paper. Warm blood oozed down his sides as he tried to stop his brain from shutting down. But he knew Lilith wouldn't let him lose consciousness. It would have been a simple getaway from the pain and anguish, but it was one that she would have never have let him take.

"If I wanted your head on a pike right now," she hissed, "it would be done. But you have too much value left in you to just do that. I'd love to see you hang there like a melting Popsicle – blood dripping off of your broken fingers. It would be wondrous to have Sam just stroll in here with a shot gun in hand finding you bloody and broken. Trust me – I've had all the scenarios playing out in my mind. This one is the most fun."

A massive figure strode through the darkness and stood along side of Lilith, peering at Bobby as if he was nothing more than a dog toy. Bobby felt his own fear pour off of him as he glanced up at the demon that stood before him. Gathering the way the demon was hovering next to Lilith, Bobby figured that the man was nothing more than Lilith's bodyguard – as if she needed one. The demon's black eyes were menacing as was his stature and form. There was no escaping the pain that was about to ensue. Bobby knew he didn't have long left to live.

"Alastair, show Mr. Singer what it means to cross us."

A fist smashed against his face, breaking several bones in his jaw and nose. Bobby's head snapped backwards before it was brought back up and hit once again. Blood was already pooling beneath his feet, soaking into the wooden floor joining whatever was cascading out of his nose.

Lilith's grin was spreading wider with each passing second. "Who says human torture methods aren't useful?"

Bobby groaned in pain with each blow sent to various parts of his body. His face was already swelling while he was praying to whoever he could that his insides weren't on the floor from the gaping hole in his stomach. Lilith was circling him – prey finally becoming the hunter. Bobby could barely keep his head up as Alastair took a step away from him. Nails scraped down his back and his body convulsed. It felt as though a thousand amps of electricity were being run through his body. His teeth ground together while he tried to keep his brain from shutting down.

"We are the superior race and I'm going to show all of you that. Once the sixty-six seals are broken and Lucifer walks free, I can guarantee you that you humans will be cowering in fear. You will bow before us like the lesser creatures that you are." Lilith's hot breath was on his neck. "I will make sure that you crawl like the dogs that you should have been."

"You'll never get the chance," Bobby said, through gritted teeth. "Dean and Sam will stop you."

"Oh…I very highly doubt that. You see…I have a little ace up my sleeve, one that neither of them will ever expect."

As Lilith moved before him once again, Alastair forced Bobby's head up in order for him to peer over at the demon that had sent Dean to Hell. Bobby knew that Dean would kill the bitch before she ever got near him again. After what she had done, both Sam and Dean had a few scores to settle with her.

"They're smarter than you. Faster than you. Get off of your high horse and know that you aren't going to win."

"There is more than just one weakness for Dean Winchester. Dean's little guardian angel might have found that little loophole in Dean's contract allowing him to pull Dean from the pit, but I can assure you that Dean will be mine again – burning in the bowels of Hell where he belongs."

"Over…my…dead…body…"

The smile on Lilith's face made Bobby's blood run cold. Even as she took tiny steps to stand before him, he knew that he didn't have long to live. This was it. He was going to die by some toddler demon's hand and had led Dean and Sam right into a trap.

Lilith's gentle hand rested on his chest, right where his heart was beating wildly. It felt like a forest fire had engulfed it, nearly smothering it to the point of it needing to stop. His body was trembling, being racked with pain. Bobby didn't know how much more he could take before he lost consciousness all together.

"This is how you die," she simply stated. "Your insignificant portion of a life was wasted by trying to kill my kind in order to save the world. You failed. Now you will be nothing more than bait for whoever finds you. I am so hoping its Sam. I can just see his puppy dog eyes as he walks through the door with a shotgun in hand. Tears will be spilling down his cheeks before he even reaches your lifeless body."

"Bitch!"

"Is that anything to call the woman you once knew?"

Bobby's eyes went dark as he tried to remember the woman that Lilith was inhabiting. She had been like a daughter to him and now she was gone. It was hard not to mourn her passing, knowing that even if somehow Lilith left her body there was no way that Abby was still alive in there. Abby was gone and soon he would join her.

"Give my regards to oblivion. Better yet…" Lilith chuckled as her entire hand illuminated in a white light. She listened to Bobby groan in pain. "Give the big man upstairs props. Tell him I'm sending him another hunter. After all, all the piñatas I have hanging outside are just the party favors for when other hunters show up."

Taking several steps away from him, Bobby felt his eyes droop shut while Lilith watched him with a curious gaze. Alastair stood beside her with his massive arms crossed over his chest. Through the haze of unconsciousness, he still heard Lilith speaking as if he was meant to hear every word. The life was slowly draining from him. He could feel it. It was damning to know that there was no way of saving him…nothing he could do…

"Let him hang there. The blood will drain from him soon enough. There's no doubt in my mind that there are other hunters in the area. It won't take them long to start looking for the other dozen that went missing. They'll be walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death in a few hours time."

"And the Winchesters?"

"They will be well taken care of. I want their heads given to me on a silver platter. I might not be able to kill psychic boy…but I have other means of persuasion." There was a slight pause before Bobby heard Lilith say, "Let's go. I've got seals to break and souls to crush."

Their footsteps fell silent as Bobby hung there limply. He prayed to God that he would find peace in the end. He prayed that someone would help Dean and Sam. Would salvation be found in the end or would he forever burn in the pit of Hell because of all of the wrong he had done? He wanted everlasting peace and to see his wife again.

And as Bobby Singer drew his last breath…he saw it…and was no more.

**A/N: I hope that you are all enjoying the story. Please let me know what you think. I know that there was no Dean or Sam in this one but I promise they will be in the next chapter! Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – World Crashes Down

From what she could tell, the youngest Winchester was having a hell of a day. The bruise that he sported on chin was probably just the beginning of the injuries. It made her smile to know that Sam was suffering and made what she was about to do all that much better. Sam's reflection in the mirror hanging over the bar was just giving her a glimpse into his soul, not that she needed a mirror to do that. Ever since their run in all those months ago, Lilith had made sure that she kept on top of where he was, who he was with, and what his weaknesses were. It wasn't hard to figure out with the loss of his brother that Sam was vulnerable to anything. Without Dean, Sam Winchester was just a half of man – just the way she liked it.

"Can I get another round?"

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the half full bottle of Jack Daniels and automatically poured into the empty scotch glass. She watched him carefully as he brought the glass to his lips and the golden liquid burned at his throat. A cheerful grin slid over her lips as she thought about him burning in the fires of Hell like she had intended the night of Dean's departure. But that little afterthought had all but burned out when she found him to be stronger than she had thought possible. Azazel had bred him well, which irked her. Sam was never supposed to lead the Armies of Hell. It wasn't supposed to be Sam but the one she had picked all of those years ago. Instead, Azazel had found a way to get the Crossroads demon to make a deal with Dean…not that she minded. Just meant Dean's soul belonged to her and that was just as good as any day on the beach.

"You got troubles?" she asked sweetly. As his big puppy dog eyes gazed up into hers, she smiled and tried to pull off the 'good girl' routine. "Come on. It's not like the world is crashing down around you. How bad can it really be?"

"Well, let's see," Sam began. "My brother found out that I was doing something that I promised I wouldn't do and now he hates me for it. Considering he's come back after four months of being gone, you can't exactly call this a vacation for us."

"He'll come around. Brothers usually do."

Sam shook his head. "Not this time. I royally screwed up and I doubt he'll forgive me."

Lilith used Abby's body to her advantage and leaned forward on the bar, just enough so Sam could get a look at her cleavage. She smirked as Sam swallowed hard and took the rest of the Jack in one swallow.

"Then your brother is a jackass. If he can't forgive someone as good looking as you, then he doesn't deserve you as a brother. He needs to grow up and see how much you've apparently sacrificed. Who is he to control you?"

Sitting there for a moment, silent, Sam thought about what she had just told him and let the words sink in. She imagined them being like venom, slowly finding their way into his head where they would begin to break down every little good thing that Sam thought about Dean. It wouldn't take long for her to have Sam do a complete U-turn about Dean. Dean was far from perfect, but was more of a threat than Sam could ever imagine being.

Hearing the distant hum of a vibrating cell phone, Lilith peered down at the bar to see Sam's phone going crazy. She noticed the caller id saying it was Dean trying to get through, but the hunter wouldn't destroy her plans for the night – at least not right away. Before Sam could notice, she gently pulled the phone from the bar and slid it into her pocket, filling Sam's glass with the bottle of Jack she had in her other hand.

"Why don't you go ahead and tell me a little bit more?" she cooed. "I'm all ears."

* * *

"Come on, Sammy, pick up."

Dean cursed to himself as he angrily threw his cell phone on the passenger seat – the one where Sam was supposed to be sitting. Instead, he had called Sam half a dozen times with no response. He had been harder on Sam than he would have liked, but there was too much to leave to chance. If the angels of Heaven were screaming at him to make Sam stop, who was he to argue with them? They apparently knew what they were talking about. It wasn't like they just made up some random apocalyptic prediction that had Dean stopping Sam. But from the look in Castiel's eyes, Dean knew they were in for a world of hurt.

Then there was Ruby, the one demon he would have loved to have seen down in Hell so that he could torture her as much as he thought he had been. Ruby was nothing but a virus, preying on Sam's good intentions. Dean hated more than anything that Ruby had some how climbed back out of the pit and had once again sunk her claws deep into Sam. Why would Sam have stopped her? He was alone in the world. As far as Sam was concerned, Dean was gone. There were no chances of him coming back, no matter how many deals he tried to create. But how had Ruby found him? It was the million dollar question and one that he was going to get answered as soon as he found the bitch again.

But there was a bigger problem at hand, one that was only a few hours away. Dean figured it would have been alright to leave Sam wherever he was. If Sam had survived four months on his own with only God to watch over him, Dean could leave him for a few hours to see what was going on at Bobby's place. Ellen had called him in a panic, unable to control herself. Usually Ellen was a pretty calm woman, but Dean knew what anger and panic sounded like in her voice, and it was overrun with it as she spoke to him on the phone. She revealed no details and was rather cryptic, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to head to Bobby's, especially if Bobby was in trouble.

The tires of the Impala skidded to a stop, throwing gravel everywhere, as Dean slammed on the breaks as he sat on the outskirts of Bobby's driveway. His eyes went wide with fright as the sun illuminated the horrific sight in front of him.

"Oh my God…"

* * *

"He's a good guy, I swear he is," Sam droned on. He was too into looking everywhere but Lilith's rolling eyes. "He's just…overprotective."

Before Lilith could respond, she noticed a figure in the darkness of the bar over Sam's shoulder. She could smell Ruby from a mile away and knew that she was there to stop Sam and bring him back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alastair standing near the doorway of the bar keeping an eye out for Dean. Instead, she gestured to Ruby and he slowly began to walk over to her.

"I know all about protective people. Trust me – I've had one during my lifetime that was a real pain in my ass."

She smirked as Alastair's arms encompassed Ruby's petite frame. Just as she was about to scream, she noticed who was holding her captive and kept her mouth shut. Alastair wasted no time in dragging her through the bar and through the backdoor into the alleyway. Lilith knew this was something she needed to deal with and slid over the bottle of Jack to keep Sam occupied.

"Listen, I will be right back. If I could put a nipple on that bottle for you I would, but you'll just have to do with the glass for now." Lilith leaned over and whispered in his ear, "but if you're lucky, you might get something else to suck on later."

Sam sat there with his jaw hanging on the bar as she felt his eyes watch her as she walked away. Her hips swayed a little more than necessary, but considering he was drunk and she wasn't used to an older body, Lilith figured it about evened itself out.

As the door slammed open, Lilith stood in the doorway, the light illuminating her in a menacing way. As Ruby shook in Alastair's arms, Lilith could feel the fear pouring off of Ruby. It made her feel that much more ready to do what she was about to do. Ruby tried to back away as Lilith stood in front of her.

"Lilith, I swear…"

Lilith threw up a hand and glared at Ruby. "Spare me the idiotic excuses that I know you're about to have spew out of your mouth. You are nothing if not predictable. I send you back to the bowels of Hell, make you understand what it's like to cross me, and yet here you stand watching over your protégé. What am I suppose to think, Ruby?"

"You know I had no choice. Between you and Azazel…"

Taking a step back, Lilith felt the anger rise deep within her, turning her eyes as white as the moon's glow. Ruby cowered in fear as a sneer crossed Alastair's lips. Azazel's name had been coming to her more often than none over the past few weeks. Even though he had been sent back, Azazel still had more connections than she would have liked, including Sam.

"Azazel?"

Ruby looked as though she was ready to bite off her own tongue. "I didn't…I mean…"

Alastair quickly let go of her as Lilith's fingers wrapped around Ruby's throat. Ruby's feet dangled just inches from the pavement as Lilith held her against the brick wall. Struggling for air, Ruby knew that her meat puppet wouldn't hold out for much longer as she clawed at Lilith's unbreakable grip.

"You timid, little bitch!" Lilith seethed. "You let him send you back? You let him cast you back here so that you can tutor the little boy king?! Did he honestly think that I wouldn't find out that he plucked one of mine from the pit to further his own needs?! Did you forget who gave you more than you ever thought possible?!"

"No!" Ruby gasped. "Lilith…I swear…I had…no choice."

"Well, you can tell the man who wants to be king that he lost." Ruby dropped to the ground in a heap before she quickly scrambled to her feet. Lilith's hand extended and Ruby's eyes widened in fright. Even as Ruby began to beg and plead for her life, Lilith knew that this was what needed to be done. "Your pleas mean nothing to me. You thought you were tortured last time…you have absolutely no idea what I can do to you. You crossed the wrong demon, Ruby. You're nothing but a pebble beneath my shoe and I will crush you with a force that will be unbearable for all eternity."

Ruby screamed as black clouds of smoke began to billow out of her mouth. Ruby's hands began to clutch at her throat as Lilith's eyes began to glow brighter than ever before. Alastair's wicked grin grew wider while the ground beneath Ruby's feet grew hot from the fires of Hell gripping her tight. As soon as the black smoke disappeared from sight, Ruby's meat puppet fell to the ground, broken, bruised and battered. Ruby's human was still alive, but barely breathing. Lilith's eyes turned back into the color they had originally been before they focused on Alastair and his ecstatic form.

"Get rid of the body and make sure that my message was sent."

All Alastair did was nod and threw Ruby's meat puppet over his shoulder like it was a bag of potatoes. Lilith straightened out her shirt and quickly gained her composure. Walking back inside, she had a genuine grin plastered on her face as she stepped back behind the bar and stood in front of Sam.

"Sorry about that." Sam peered up at her with sadness in his eyes but a smirk playing on his lips. "Where were we?"

* * *

Slamming the door shut on the Impala, Dean hefted the sawed-off shotgun in his hand and felt his heart sink as he slowly started walking down the drive. Every few feet there was something more grotesque than the next. Twelve, from what he could gather, hunters hung lifeless on poles like they were welcoming banners. Each one had died in a different and more horrifying way. Blood had already soaked into the soil from the innocent that had passed on. Dean had no doubts in his mind that a demon had done this to them, but it had to have been someone more powerful than he had ever met to level as many hunters as there were being displayed for those brave enough to see.

But as he approached the end of the drive, he noticed Ellen standing on the doorstep to Bobby's house with tears streaming down her cheeks. He ran up the few stairs to the porch and enveloped Ellen in his arms. She sobbed against him, hot tears soaking into his thin t-shirt. It didn't take long, but Ellen gathered her senses and became the woman he had met at the Roadhouse those few years back.

"Dean, I know what you just saw was tough…"

"Who did this?" he demanded.

"Your answer lies inside." Before he made a move, Ellen clapped a strong hand on his arm which had him peering back at her. "Dean, please prepare yourself. What you're about to see…"

Dean didn't need for her to finish before he kicked in the door and raced inside. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he searched the house before stumbling upon the living room. The shotgun dropped from his hand with a clatter to the floor as he sunk to his knees. Tears brimmed his eyes as he saw the sight before him…one he thought he would have never have been privy to.

"Bobby…"

* * *

"You know…you're pretty hot."

Lilith couldn't help but laugh and note the slur in Sam's speech. Jack had done the damage and left Sam vulnerable. She had to commend humans and half of the things they invented to torture themselves before they came to visit them in the pit. The sins and vices that they had were almost too much to count. She was coming to enjoy them over time and finding them to be useful.

"I should be blushing," Lilith whispered, leaning over the bar again, "but why should I when I know you're right."

A gasp escaped her lips as Sam's fingers gently trailed over her collarbone and up her jaw line. It was an unexpected response and one she had to blame her meat puppet on. Lilith heard the desperate pleas for her to stop, the soul that was trapped so deep inside, but Lilith ignored them. This was her time. Why couldn't she enjoy it with the one man that everyone seemed to want to be with?

"What time do you get off?"

Lilith couldn't help but chuckle. "Coming off a little strong there, Sam. That was your name, right?" As he nodded, her smile widened. "This sounds a little bit more like the brother you were telling me about than you."

"I can be just as persuasive as him," Sam stated.

Grabbing her arm, he pulled her closer toward him as his lips descended upon hers. Lilith placed her hands on either side of his face, making the kiss more than it should have been. This hadn't been a part of the plan, but if she could use it to her advantage, why not?

As Sam pulled back, his grin widened as he saw the glassy look in her eyes. "What time do you get off?"

Lilith quickly assessed the situation and thought about Dean finding them together. It would make her skin crawl to do what she was about to do with Sam, but if Dean noticed a woman in Sam's bed, it would just make an already volatile situation that much worse. Taking off her apron, she climbed over the bar and sat beside Sam. Her hands ran up and down his thighs as she smiled at him. He slid forward and kissed her once again, his hands running up and down her back as hers pressed against his chest. The fire inside of her had to be contained, no matter how much she just wanted to release it inside of him. The thought of torturing the Winchester brothers before killing them seemed much more sinful than anything else. She needed to have some fun before getting down to business.

Breaking the kiss, Lilith's lips hovered by Sam's ear, her breath hot on his neck. "Get me out of here."

* * *

Blood soaked through his shirt as he cradled Bobby's lifeless body in his arms. Ellen had grabbed a blanket, wrapping the man who was like a father to him, in it. The damaged, the destruction that had been caused made him weep with sadness and in anger. Whatever demon had done this would pay for what had happened. At least his father died peacefully. Bobby had nearly been torn to shreds with his insides spilling out onto the floor. The wood beneath him had been soaked in blood – Bobby's blood. Dean could feel grief washing over him and fury boiling inside.

"I am so sorry, Dean," Ellen almost whispered. "But you know what we have to do."

Bobby and Sam had spared his body, why couldn't he spare Bobby's? To salt and burn the man that had almost raised him was close to sacrilegious. He didn't want to have to stand over an open grave and watch Bobby's body burn. But as Ellen made a move for Bobby, Dean's glare had her stumbling backwards. Tears burned his cheeks as he stumbled to his feet with Bobby in his arms. The other hunters had been cut down and laid out in the back. They were waiting patiently to be put to rest along with the man in his arms.

"I need to do this, Ellen," Dean said strongly, as he walked out the door. "I need to do this alone."

Ellen respected his boundaries as Dean walked into the cool and bitter air. As he placed Bobby into the hole that they had dug, he peered down at the men that had been sacrificed for some demonic bastard that was going to die by his hand.

"You were a good man, Bobby. Thank you…for everything."

Trying to hold back his tears, Dean pulled a matchbook out of his back pocket and lit them. Hesitating, he took a deep breath and threw it into the hole, watching as the small pit turned into Hell on earth. If he knew Bobby like he did, he wasn't in Hell like Dean had been for four months. Bobby was with Dean and Sam's mom and hopefully his father. A good man didn't deserve to burn. Bobby deserved peace…as did the rest.

"Dean…"

Dean jumped as he heard Castiel's voice from behind. Not holding back the pent up anger and frustration he had inside, Dean took Castiel by the lapels and slammed him against a beat up Chevy truck. Castiel made no move to struggle but peered at Dean with sympathy in his eyes.

"You couldn't stop this?! You mean to tell me with all of your heavenly powers that you couldn't stop a man who has served you for years from this fate?!"

"I can't change destiny, Dean."

Dean slammed him against the truck again. "That's all you have to say to me?! After you tell me that I need to stop Sam or you will, you're going to stand there and tell me that you can't change destiny?! That man was like a father to me! He didn't deserve to die like that."

"I agree with you, Dean, but Bobby Singer had served a full life. He's with his wife. I promise you that he is not suffering." He choked for a moment before Dean let up on him just a bit. "But there is something you need to realize before it's too late."

"Oh yeah? And what is that?"

Dangling from Castiel's fingers was a golden chain with a heart locket hanging from it. Dean glanced down at it and noticed that the locket was sealed shut but there were several initials engraved on the front of it. As Dean let Castiel go, Castiel straightened his trench coat while Dean took the necklace to take a closer look at it.

"ABS?"

Castiel noticed the furrowed brow despite Dean concentrating so hard. Dean thought he knew the initials but couldn't place him to save his life. Whatever this was, it was something more than just a simple locket. Castiel wouldn't have plucked it out of Bobby's house for a souvenir.

"Anti-lock breaking system?" Dean kidded, but noticed Castiel hadn't even cracked a smile. "Come on. I need some sort of humor amidst the mess I'm in. I just lost a man who was like a father to me, Cas. I can't help it if this is the way I cope."

Castiel said nothing else except, "I am sorry for your loss, Dean, but you need to guess again."

Dean thought really long and hard and fought against the blackness that wanted to cloud his memory. For years he had run into so many new people. Plenty of people, he was certain, had the initials. But why would Bobby have had a locket with them on it? Then realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Had he had noticed it sooner he would have figured it out. Sprinting past Castiel, he bolted into the house and began to dig through Bobby's desk. In the very bottom of the bottom drawer was a tiny black box that had a small key hole. Dean didn't hesitate and grabbed the screwdriver that was sitting on top of the desk and pried the lid open. Gazing inside, Dean felt the tears beginning to pool once again. A shadow was cast over the items inside of the box. Dean didn't turn to look back at Castiel, but let his fingers gently touch the photographs inside.

"You know who it is?" Castiel questioned.

Dean chuckled slightly as he plucked a photo out of the box. "I can't believe I forgot who it was. It's been so long since Bobby and I had talked about her, but I can never forget her face. ABS is Abigail Bryant Singer – Bobby's adopted daughter."

A tear dropped onto the picture and he quickly wiped it off. It hadn't been one of the greatest pictures ever taken, but it had been almost the only one where it had been him, Bobby, and Abby together when they were all smiling. It had been years since he had thought of Abby and even longer since she was thought to have been dead. But if Bobby had plucked her locket out of the black box, there had to have been a reason.

"You need to find her, Dean."

Peering over his shoulder, Dean looked worriedly at Castiel. "Why? What's wrong with her?"

"Find Sam…find Abigail…it is of the utmost importance."

* * *

The feel of flesh against flesh made her want to lose the contents of her stomach on the floor, but Lilith held it together. Even as their bodies melded as one, she knew that this was going better than she had ever hoped. From what she had been hearing, Dean had found Bobby instead of Sam. That would make the rage inside of the eldest Winchester almost too much to bear, but it would be all the more thrilling when it came down to it.

A moan escaped her lips as her back arched off of the bed. The ultimate sins were that of betrayal…lust…greed…and Sam Winchester was taking it all. How she would love to see his soul twisting and writhing in the fiery pits of despair as she dangled him from her fingers like a puppet. But there was no denying that Sam had some moves and had shown her why humans were so susceptible to committing sin. His lips explored every inch of her body while his fingers danced as sweat glistened on both of their bodies. Their lips met in a tangle of heat and frustration as they both wanted to dominate what was going on.

In the end…both had won.

Lilith fell against the bed limply, letting the loose strands of hair cover her face. A thin sheen of sweat covered her entire body while Sam's arm wrapped around her waist. Despite being a demon, she felt the need of sleep from the meat puppet that she resided in. It was hard to resist her lids slowly shutting, but as she glanced over at Sam, she knew what she had done had been for the greater good.

Sam Winchester had just had sex with his mortal enemy and victory couldn't have been sweeter.

* * *

Dean stood in the doorway of the motel room Sam had rented for them. He ground his teeth together and tried not to lose his temper as he saw his unconscious brother in bed with some slut that he picked up from the bar. For three hours in the Impala, Dean had gone over what Castiel had told him and tried to formulate a plan on how to find Abby. If Castiel had told him to find her, then she was in a world of trouble and there was no way of stopping it unless he found her. Finding Sam was simple enough, considering the bar Sam had gone to had given Dean all the intimate details of how his young brother got drunk and took home the bartender. If it had been any other time, he would have cheered Sam on. But he had taken care of Bobby by himself while Sam got his kicks.

Not being able to take it any more, Dean stepped inside and slammed the door shut. He watched as Sam sat bolt upright, clutching his head, while the naked woman beside him shifted to get more comfortable. Sam glanced down and his eyes went wide as he turned his head and saw Dean standing angrily in the doorway, the light from the parking lot illuminating his furious features.

"Is this what you left me for tonight?" he asked angrily. "Is that Ruby in that poor helpless woman?"

Sam quickly shook his head and held up his hands in defense. "Dean, I swear to you that it's not Ruby."

"Then who the hell is it, Sam?!" Dean demanded.

"Sam?"

Both Sam and Dean watched as the woman slowly sat up and stretched. He noticed the tattoo of angel wings that covered her entire back along with a few other religious symbols he wasn't familiar with. Dean felt his breath catch as she quickly peered over her shoulder and saw another person standing in the room. She stumbled off of the bed, clutching the bed sheet to her naked frame. Without a moment to think, Dean bolted across the room and slammed Sam against the wall. The young woman screamed as Sam struggled against Dean's grip, but it was no use.

"Dean!"

Dean fought with everything that he was to get himself under control, but he couldn't. He thought he would have to travel the countryside to find the one woman that had disappeared without as so much as a word. Instead, he found her in bed with the one man he thought would know better.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean yelled at Sam, keeping his brother pinned against the wall. "You leave me in the middle of the night while I go and bury our friend in the ground…"

Sam looked at him confused. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Bobby is dead, Sam. He's dead and I was the one left to salt and burn his bones." Dean let Sam go as Sam fell to the floor in a heap. He watched as Sam mourned the loss of the man that was there for them through everything. It wasn't the way he wanted to tell Sam, but he was too angry to take it back now. "Demons tortured him and twelve others. Ellen and I were left to pick up the pieces and now I find you with Abby…"

"Abby?"

Dean turned on his heel and glared at Abby who stood there silent. He grabbed her roughly by the arms and when she didn't protest, he knew that she understood what she had done.

"You've been gone for how long and this is how you show back up?"

She bit her bottom lip. "I didn't know, Dean."

"I am so done with everything. I'm just…done."

Dean picked up his jacket as Sam stumbled to his feet. Before either Sam or Abby could do anything, Dean walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The bite of the cool air on his heated skin didn't do any good. He knew that his cheeks were red and it wasn't because he was embarrassed. He was furious. For the first time in his life there were no words to even describe how he was feeling. He wanted nothing more than to slink into the darkness and just never be seen again.

"Bobby, man I could use right about now."

A gentle grasp of his arm and Dean turned with the knife in his hand right below Abby's jaw line. She didn't flinch and didn't move as he glared at her. She was fully clothed and didn't seem anything like the young woman who had been standing in the room just seconds before. He didn't take the knife right away but held it there for a minute before finally succumbing to the fact that she wasn't going to back away. Holstering it, he glanced down at the ground and shook his head.

"What do you want?" Stumbling backwards, Dean's eyes went wide as Abby's turned pure white. "Son of a…Lilith?!"

Before he could yell for Sam or do anything to protect himself, Lilith's hand shot out and blinded him with a white light…leaving the street abandoned as if they had never existed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Recession of Aggression

**- July, 2003 -**

Dean stood outside on the front porch with the neck of a beer bottle swinging between his fingers. It had been empty for almost ten minutes but he was too lazy to walk into the kitchen and grab a cold one out of the fridge. They had been spending almost every waking moment at Bobby's. His father was constantly hovering over a map while Bobby had his face buried in ancient books. A grin slowly crossed his lips as he thought about Sam and how much like Bobby he was, constantly diving into books to find out what they needed to know. Dean hadn't realized how much he had missed his brother until now. Sam just had to go to college, live out the American dream. Dean wasn't meant for that life, and as much as he wanted Sam on the road with him and as much as it hurt him not to have his brother along side of him, Dean knew that as long as Sam was safe and happy, there was nothing else he could ask for.

"Dean, you better be doing more than just drinking a beer," John's deep voice traveled to him outside. "We have a lot to do before we start hunting this thing."

Not helping rolling his eyes, Dean sighed and walked back inside from the warm South Dakota air. If this was summer, he hated to see what winter was like. He stayed as far south as he could when the winter months came. He wanted to see more skin and less of the snow covered mountains. A wider grin spread as he thought of college girls traipsing across the beach in barely nothing there bikinis. What he wouldn't give to be in Florida at Daytona right about now.

"Dean!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

Just as he began to walk through the foyer of Bobby's house, he stopped short as he noticed a shadow cross the floor in the kitchen. Peering through the doorway and into the living room, he saw Bobby and his father hovering over a table, picking and poking at the ancient map that sat on it. The wheels in Dean's head began to turn and smoke as he wondered who was walking around the kitchen. Moving stealthily, Dean made his way toward the kitchen and leaned on the doorway as he peered inside.

The refrigerator door was open and a figure was bent over, peering inside. By the way the tight blue jeans hugged every curve of the body, Dean knew that the figure was a really well-shaped woman. Drool was practically falling from his mouth as he watched her sway her hips back and forth as she dug for something inside the icebox. If the woman had the face to go along with the body, Dean knew he was going to get lucky.

"Hey, Bobby…where the hell is the rest of the…oh, never mind!"

Plucking a bottle of beer out of the fridge, the young woman stood up and closed the door. She didn't pay any attention to Dean as she popped off the cap and took a long swig of the cool liquid. Dean watched her curiously as he took in every curve and every inch of her. She was the definition of beautiful and he couldn't believe Bobby had been hiding her for as long as he had been. Auburn locks hung loosely about her shoulders while full, red lips accentuated the caramel-colored eyes that seemed to shimmer in the light cascading in through the window.

He smirked and gestured to the fridge. "Can you grab me a beer?"

An annoyed look passed over the young woman's face as he stood there trying to figure out what he had said wrong. "Do I look like a maid to you?"

"What? I was just asking for you to grab me a beer. Is that too hard for you to do?"

Dean took a step forward as the young woman moved in front of him. They both stared at one another, waiting for the other to back down. He had no idea what her problem was, but it was as if something had crawled up her ass.

"How hard is it for you to walk across the kitchen and grab it yourself?"

"About as hard as it is for you to shut your trap and just grab me a damn beer."

She smirked and before he knew what had happened, a balled up fist slammed right into his jaw, knocking him backwards. Just as he righted himself, a foot planted itself into his stomach, sending him to one knee. Dean gasped for air as he watched, through squinted eyes, the young woman walk right past him and into the living room – joining his father and Bobby. He listened to the muffled voices as he tried to get the air back into his lungs and try to ignore the throbbing in his chin.

"Abigail, what did you do?" Bobby asked, with a fatherly tone in his voice.

"What do you mean, 'what did I do'? He was an egotistical pig that should have gotten his own damn beer."

His father's laughter was something he wasn't expecting. "Oh, this is going to be fun, Bobby. I sure as hell hope you know what you're doing."

"What is he talking about, Bobby?"

Dean finally stood on steady feet and quickly grabbed a beer from the fridge. Rather than opening it, he held it to his already bruising chin. He stepped from the kitchen and into the living room, seeing his father, Bobby, and the woman who apparently could kick ass, staring at him.

"Mind telling me who the bitch is with the left hook that should be saved for a boxing ring?"

"Go ahead and say that again, junior, because you'll have a black eye that joins the welt on your chin," she rebutted.

"That's enough, you two," John scolded. He ignored the glares from both Dean and the young woman as he glanced between them. "You two better get used to one another. Dean, that means you need to respect her as a fellow hunter…"

The young woman laughed and shook her head in disgust. "This is Dean Winchester? Well, this is just great. I'm in the presence of perfection. The infamous Dean Winchester is here and I should be bowing down before him."

"Abigail, that is enough!" Bobby yelled, his voice stern. "Dean is a damn fine hunter. I know you've heard all of the rumors, but you need to let them go. Just because he gets along with the ladies…" Bobby sighed as Dean grinned. "…doesn't mean you need to treat him like he's nothing. He can show you a thing or two."

"Yeah," Dean agreed.

"Dean," John interjected before anything else was said, "this is Abigail Singer. Her friends call her Abby."

"Does that mean I get to call her Gail?" Dean questioned, but received a cold stare from Bobby. "What? She can have a go at me but I can't say anything?"

Abby moved away from the group and pushed through the backdoor and walked outside. Bobby sighed and Dean saw the frustration cross over the old hunter's face. He had never known Bobby to get so flustered when it came to Dean's humor, but now it was as if Dean had to walk on pins and needles around this new addition to the ranks. Dean knew he couldn't do that. If someone was going to get along with him, they had to get used to his humor. Too bad and so sad if they couldn't. But as John grasped Dean's arm firmly, Dean knew there was more than meets the eye with Abby.

"You need to take it easy on Abby," John warned.

Dean shook his head. "I'm not going to take it easy on some stuck up bitch that thinks she can hunt. Forget it, dad. If she wants to be a hunter, she's going to have to suck it up and walk along side the big boys."

"She is one of the big boys, Dean. She's been involved with demons since she was four…much like you. What's worse is that you two have more in common than you think."

"Oh really?" he asked. "And what exactly do we have in common? Apparently both of our egos can't both fit in the same room."

"That was an admission if I ever heard one," Bobby muttered under his breath.

Dean glared at Bobby while John continued. "Listen, Dean. I need you to get to know her. Befriend her for all I care, but just learn to get along with her. You two will be spending a lot of time together and it would help if the two of you weren't at each other's throats all the time."

"What the hell do you mean we're spending a lot of time together!?"

"Told you he was going to freak out, Bobby."

"Dad, what the hell are you talking about?!"

Bobby finally moved away from the table and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Peering over his shoulder, Bobby glanced out the window watching Abby pace the yard, appearing to be trying to find something. Turning his attention back to Dean, Bobby cleared his throat while John moved back to the table, making lines on the map that made absolutely no sense.

"This hunt isn't a normal hunt, Dean, and it's going to take two teams to try and narrow this down. Your dad and me decided that we were going to head to the coast. We need to corner this son of a bitch and it isn't going to work if we're just looking like we're chasing our tails."

Dean shook his head. "What the hell does this have to do with me and the chick outside?"

"The chick outside happens to be my daughter and she has a name."

It was as if all the air in the room had been sucked out. Dean stood there, dumbfounded and silent. He had absolutely no idea what to say to Bobby. If Abby was his daughter, why hadn't his father mentioned it before? They were the same age and did exactly the same thing. Maybe that's why it was more like a clash of the titans than Playboy of the Month. They were too alike to even think about seeing eye-to-eye.

"Bobby, I…"

Bobby just held up a hand and stopped Dean from speaking. "I don't have time for the squabbling between the two of you that I know is bound to happen. I need for the two of you to focus on this hunt. I don't honestly care if the two of you get along or not. We need to find this son of a bitch and kill it before it does more harm than good."

"What exactly are we hunting?"

"That's the problem," John piped in. "We know it's a demon. We know it's an evil bastard. The problem is, is that we have no idea which demon it is and why its here. We need to figure that out, but he's moved too fast for us to corner it. If we split up, maybe we'll find it before it finds us."

Dean glanced back and forth between them before asking, "You don't think it's the demon that killed mom, do you?"

John hung his head. "No, Dean, I don't."

The sorrow that had been building inside of him since the fire grew larger. For years, his father had been hunting the bastard that had killed his mother and changed their lives forever. Instead, it was as if they had been hunting nothing more than a ghost. Even though they had been chasing the things that went bump in the night, Dean was beginning to wonder if the demon truly did exist. He trusted his father with everything that he was, but there were some days that the doubts he had consumed him.

Shaking his head, he freed himself of any doubts and focused on what was at hand. "So you want me and…Abby…to go after this thing while you do the same?"

"This demon," John continued, "is big. Dean, this isn't going to be a normal hunt. As much as I want us to be together on this one, Bobby thinks it might be best if him and I take the west coast while you and Abby take the east. The faster we find this thing the better."

Dean nodded in agreement. "You haven't been wrong before. Why start now, huh?"

John and Dean shared a laugh as Bobby moved in front of the window. Dean watched as Bobby kept an eye on Abby. Bobby would have mentioned if he had a daughter, so Dean could only begin to assume that he had taken Abby under his wing and trained her to the best of his ability. Abby had to have some damn good reflexes for both his father and Bobby to trust them to work together on a hunt when they hadn't even truly gotten along in the first five minutes they were in each other's presence. Or maybe Bobby just wanted him to look after Abby to keep her out of trouble.

"We can figure out all of the details later," Bobby finally said. "Right now, I think its best you two get to know one another. You guys are going to be on the road for a long time and if you don't start to get along now, it's going to be a rough road."

* * *

"Dad, where the hell is the Camaro?! In a junk yard full of cars, how the hell can you hide a '69 Camaro?"

As Abby rounded the corner of several stacked station wagons and a Jeep Wrangler, she stopped short once she saw the sight in front of her. Groaning and rolling her eyes, she stormed forward and didn't care if her father saw what she was about to do.

"Get the hell off of my car, Winchester! You don't see me throwing myself onto the hood of your '67 Impala now, do you?"

Dean couldn't help but smirk as he slid off of the hood, but remained leaning against it. "I wouldn't mind it. Nice little red bikini and some high heels..."

"God you are such a macho, egotistical bastard!" she screamed.

Her fingers ran down the length of the fire engine red Camaro with black racing stripes. She couldn't help but grin as she took in all of its beauty. Pushing him out of the way, she listened to him chuckle as she opened up the hood of the car. Abby placed her hands on either side and peered in. Every time she tried to start the car it wouldn't turn over. No matter what she did or how many things she replaced, she still couldn't get the damn car to start. But feeling Dean's eyes staring at her, she tried not to cringe and just focus on the task at hand.

"Do you even know what you're looking at?"

Abby bit her lip, almost drawing blood. She found her center and decided that it was time to beat Dean Winchester at his own game.

"1969 Chevy Camaro Z28 with a V-8 engine and 850-cfm four barrel carburetor. It has a F41 suspension and can run a quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 101 miles per hour. It can go 0-60 in 7.4 seconds." As she peered over his shoulder and saw his wide eyes, she smirked and went back to tinkering with the spark plugs. "Did I pass your test, Mr. Winchester?"

"That was…impressive."

"Glad to hear it." Climbing behind the wheel, she tried to turn on the engine but she growled when it didn't even turn over. She turned it again, but still nothing happened. Hitting the wheel, she yelled, "Damn it!"

"Something the matter?"

Abby sighed and slid out of the driver's side. "No matter what I do, I can't get her to start. She won't even turn over."

Dean leaned over the engine and began to adjust the spark plugs and a few other things. He adjusted the battery cables before glancing up at Abby. "Did you replace the spark plugs and battery?"

"Trust me, genius, I tried all of that. This isn't my first rodeo. I do know what I'm doing under the hood of a car."

"Just try it again, hot shot."

Cranking the engine, she listened as her baby whined even when she gave it gas. Abby moved to the front of the car, she watched as Dean fiddled with a few wires. He held out a hand as if waiting for something to be put in the palm of it.

"You have a screwdriver on you?"

Pulling one out of her back pocket, she put it into his hand. "You figure it out?"

"I saw some sparks as you cranked it the last time. I think you got a loose wire."

Giving him some room, Abby took a step back and watched as Dean practically climbed into the engine. His muscles flexed beneath the thin, tight black t-shirt that he wore. It was already clinging to his skin from the heat and sweat that she could just imagine was covering his body. His tight jeans hugged just the right curves and she cursed herself for even looking at him in the way she was. He was Dean Winchester and the rumors and reputation that came along with the name couldn't just be erased away. She hated that she found him attractive, but she would be damned if she would be like every other sex crazed woman that fell at his feet.

"There," he said, wiping his hands on his pants. "I think I got it. Go ahead and try to start it."

In a way, she hoped that it wouldn't start. She hoped that it remained dead as much as she wanted to hear her baby purr like it was supposed to. But even as the key turned, she listened to the engine rev and turn over. The slamming of the hood had her turning her attention from the sound of her baby coming to life to the smirk on Dean's face. Rolling her eyes, she kept it running as she blasted the radio. His head slowly began to bop to the beat of 'Back in Black'.

Climbing out of the car, she slammed the door shut and leaned against it. "Reveling in your victory, Winchester?"

"Only in the fact that you won't admit that you needed help, Singer."

"Wow, he knows my name. Bet you that's a first."

Abby couldn't help but chuckle when she saw the look on Dean's face. Snatching the screwdriver out of his hand, she slid onto the hood of her baby and watched as Dean studied her. She wasn't sure if she liked it, but if they were going to be spending as much time together as Bobby had warned her about, she would have to get used to it.

"What?"

Dean just smiled and gestured to her Camaro. "I hope you're not too attached to her, because if you think you're driving, you're dead wrong."

"Who said anything about me driving with you? Maybe I'll race you."

Her breath caught in her throat as his hands became planted on either side of her. Dean leaned down, hovering just inches from her face. It was so tempting to just kiss him and shock the hell out of him, but why push it?

"Do you really think you can win?" he questioned playfully.

Abby couldn't help but grin. "I don't lose."

**- Present Time -**

Dean groaned as he slowly began to pull from unconsciousness. He felt the coolness of steel against his skin. Peering up through squinted eyes, he saw his wrists bound by chain. Despite his struggling, Dean knew there was no way he was going to break free of whoever was holding him hostage. No sunlight filtered in through the windows yet it wasn't night. He was beginning to wonder just where in the hell he was.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Dean."

His teeth ground together without even trying. Dean felt his blood beginning to boil as he forced his head to tilt up and stare into the eyes of the one woman he thought he'd never see again. Yet, it wasn't her which made him that much angrier. Lilith had taken over a body that shouldn't have been tainted in such a way. Struggling against the chains, he felt it dig deeper into his skin, but it didn't matter to him. Dean needed to feel the pain to know that he was suffering along with her.

"Don't like the body?" Lilith asked, smirking evilly. "I thought you'd enjoy seeing it. I rather enjoy inhabiting it."

"You bitch!"

Lilith clicked her tongue against her teeth, as if scolding Dean. He struggled even harder, but found no way of loosening the chain. His chest rose and fell with a speed he didn't think possible. There were too many bad thoughts swimming around in his head. Abby…he couldn't let her suffer although Dean knew she already was.

"What do you want with me?" Dean demanded.

Lilith shrugged as a shadow moved across the wall behind her. Dean noticed a larger man stand near the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. There was something about the man that Dean found familiar but couldn't place.

"Alastair is an old friend of yours, Dean. I know he'll be able to take care of you if you get out of line. I know that you don't recognize him, but you will be able to tell just exactly who he is when the time is right." Lilith took a step toward Dean and she smiled as he flinched at his touch. "I have many plans for you, Dean. I had many more in the pit but I guess that little plan was thwarted when that angel pulled you out. Rather convenient. It always seems to go that way for you, doesn't it? Unfortunately for you, you won't get out of this one as easily."

"Castiel saved me from the pit," he stated. "He'll find Sam and I'll be out of here before you can turn your eyes white."

"Not before I burn your insides out…like poor old Bobby."

His cheeks turned hot before he could stop himself. "You killed Bobby?! You let Abby kill Bobby?!"

"Oh, I killed him and I rather enjoyed it. Abby, on the other hand, was crying like a baby inside. It was satisfying."

"You cold hearted bitch!" Dean yelled. "I'm going to send you back to Hell and make sure you burn for eternity."

Lilith said nothing else and gestured to Alastair. Dean felt fear rise in the pit of his stomach. The smell of Alastair was becoming all too familiar. He didn't remember much about Hell, but he had a feeling he was about to. The first slam didn't register until Alastair slammed his fist into Dean's face again, breaking his nose. Blood gushed down his face – warm and sticky. Dean did everything in his power to try and keep conscious, but it was slowly beginning to slip away.

"We have much to discuss, Dean. But maybe you'll be more cooperative on the next time around. After all, I think I have a few things that I'll be holding against you to gain the information I need. And you will give it to me, Dean. I can guarantee that. Who needs Sam when I have the great Dean Winchester?"

Dean feared what was coming. While the world faded to black around him, he thought about everything that Lilith could hold against him. No one knew about Abby, especially Sam. But how many times could he sell his soul to save the one he loved? Between Abby and Sam…could Dean save them both?


End file.
